Sash balance



' IN V EN TOR:

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Hi5 ATTORNEY.

Oct. 3, 1944. J. FRANCIA SASH BALANCE Filed Oct. 5, 1942 3} MES FRMcM,

Patented Oct. 3, 1944 SASH BALANCE James Francia, Port Chester, N. Y.

Application October 3, 1942, Serial No. 46-0,.621

4 Claims.

This invention relates to means for holding slidably mounted window sash or the like in adjusted position.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide such a device, which shall serve instead of the conventional cord and weight, or other devices commonly used.

Another object is to provide such a device, which may be installed in a window which has no suitable space for a cord and weight, in or adjacent its frame.

Another object is to provide such a device which is adjustable to firmly and resiliently hold the sash in desired position against the force of gravity, and at the same time to permit it to be moved manually to open or close the window.

Another object is to provide such a device which may be mounted and adjusted for sliding operation of the sash and also to permit removal of the same when desired without removing any portion of the surrounding frame.

Another object is to provide such a device which may be readily installed in an existing window of conventional construction.

Another object is to provide such a device which may be installed by a person havin a moderate ability in the use of tools, and which shall not require the services of an expert carpenter or builder for installation.

Another device is to provide a device which may be adjusted to serve substantially as a lock.

Another object is to provide a device which is compact, strong in construction, not likely to get out of order, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in what follows, or will be obvious to those skilled in the artto which my invention relates, Without being particularly pointed out.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, one embodiment of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in. this specification.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, I

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a window, showing one of my devices installed at one side of the upper sash, by which arrangement the sash is not removable, and showing two of my devices installed at each side of the lower sash, by which arrangement this sash. may be made removable.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale and partly in section, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a longitudinal sectional View and an elevational View, both on a further enlarged scale, of the slide member forming part of my device;

Figs. 5 and 6 are corresponding views of a cup member which fits over the central portion of the slide; and

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line l-'! of Fig. 2, but on a scale similar to that of Figs. 3-6, and showing one of my devices installed in the sash frame, but not showing the portion of the window frame against which the slide abuts in use.

In carrying my invention into effect in this embodiment thereof, I provide first a metal blank, from which is formed the slide I0. At the sides of this blank are lateral wings which are bent up to form side pieces II, and from the face of the blank are cut or stamped tongues I2, which are bent at I3 at right angles to the body of the slide Ill and again at right angles at I4 to extend toward each other. The ends of these tongues I2 are cut out in approximately semi-circular form at I 5, thus providing together a substantially circular aperture for the stem of a screw I6 below described. The ends of the tongues I2 may fit closely together, or may merely approach each other as shown in the drawing.

A square cap I I, having a central perforation I8, fits over the side wings II, the inside dimensions of the two side walls 20 of the cap being substantially equal to the dimensions of the wings II, so that the cap may either rest against the ends of the wings II and the inner face of the slide II], or may be spaced therefrom. as shown in Fig. '7 o to such degree as desired, according to the adjustment of the parts.

The straight screw I6 has a flat head 25, which is placed within the small housing formed by the tongues I2, the stem of the screw passing through the aperture I5. The screw may be inserted before the ends of the tongues are brought close together. The stem. of the screw fits loosely in the aperture I5, which is not threaded.

Around the screw I6 is placed a helical spring 26 and a washer 2'1, and the cap I! is then placed over and encloses this assembly and the wings II, as best indicated in Fig. 7. The pressure of the spring 25 against the tongues I2 and the washer 21, at its respective ends, urges the cap I1 away from the body of the slide [8.

Surrounding the outer portion of the screw I6 and extending through the perforation I3, is a sleeve 30, screw-threaded both externally and internally and which for convenience may be referred to herein as a screw. Theinternal threads engage the screw I6, and the external threads engage the threading of the perforation I8.

To install the device in a window, a socket 3| (see Fig. 7) is mcrtised in the outer edge of the sash frame 32, of a size to permit the plate ID to lie flush with the surface of the sash frame. The slide I0 is, however, freely movable into and out of this" socket 3|, the extent of movement being controllable as below described.

A square socket of greater depth is also formed in the sash frame 32, in which the cap I! is firmly secured. The cap may be held in place frictionally, by closely wedging it into its socket, or it may be held by short screws passing through perforations 35 in the cap, or in any manner desired, as will be obvious.

The screws I6 and 30, extend through a perforation from the cap-socket to the inside surface of the sash-frame side bar 32, and extend slightly. The screw 30 cooperates with the cap I! and the inner screw l6, therefore it is immatee rial whether or not the aperture through which it passes in the wooden sash-frame shall be threaded.

The manner of installing all of the units in the sash-frame, whether the lower sash 32 or the upper sash 33, is the same, therefore the same description applies to all; when desired to permit removal of a sash, a. part of its frame is cut away before installing the unit, as below referred to. In the drawing, the upper sash is shown non-removably mounted, and the lower sash is equipped for both sliding movement and removal.

In the case of a lower sash, the slide l lies in the runway between the window-stop 36 and the parting strip 31, and in the case of the upper sash it lies in the runway between the parting strip 31 and the screen stop 38. The slide is resiliently urged outward by the pressure of the spring 26, against the inner surface of the runway, the pressure being adjustable as below described.

If it is desired to use the device merely for holding the sash in vertically adjusted position in the runway, a single unit at one side will be sufficient for a light-weight sash, and two units at the same side will usually serve for a heavier sash. If the sash fits fairl closely in the frame, the slide may remain partly within its socket 3|, only a part of the thickness of the slide moving out to press the slide against the surface of the runway; if the window fits loosely, however, the slide may move out as far as necessary, always lying in a plane and in a longitudinal line parallel to the sash frame, even when outside of its own socket 3|.

In order to use the units in a manner to permit removal of the sash without removing any part of the window frame each time, the sash frame is first cut away at each side to reduce the 7 width of the sash relatively to the window frame.

The lower sash 32 is cut away in such case so that its distance from the runway on each side of the window frame is one-half the thickness of the window-stop 36, and is thus shown in the drawings (see Fig. 2); the upper sash would be cut away at each side equal to one-half the thickness of the parting strip 31, but in the present drawing the upper sash is shown mounted for sliding movement only and accordingly is not cut away. For removable mounting, two units are then installed at each side of each sash, in the same manner as above described. In such case, however, the slides l0 have obviously a much greater range of movement, when the sashes are in place in the frame. It will be understood that this cutting away of the sash frames permits the sash (when also permitted by adjustment of my units) to be moved manually to one side or the other, thereby clearing the window-stop 36 or the parting strip 31., as the case may be, and allowing the sash to be lifted into the room, without removing the stop, the parting strip, or any other portion of the window frame.

against the runways is released or lessened to apermit the sash to be brought into the room there seems to be danger of the same falling outward, or difiiculty is experienced in avoiding such a falling out, the screen stop may be made 7 V a little wider than the parting strip by replacing the existing screen stop with a Wider one, which then remains permanently in place; the parting strip should also be somewhat wider than the window stop, but as this is usually the case, no change is generally required to prevent any.0ut ward fall or difiiculty in the case of the lower sash. The operation of the device is as follows. When installed to permit removal of the sash as above mentioned, the sash is first removed from the window frame, for the purpose of cutting down the width. For this purpose, it will ordinarily be necessary to remove the stop 36 or the parting strip 31, or both, which are afterwards permanently replaced. The necessary sockets are formed, and the units assembled and attached as above described.

sion of the cutting away of the sash.

The device is then adjusted by turning the screws, and in ordinary course of use remains,

in such adjustment. The sash is first replaced in the window, with the slides I 0 sufl'lciently re-.

tracted to permit easy handling. To make the adjustment for use, the inner screw is turned in one direction or the other to adjust the position of the slide relative to the sash, and the outer screw 30 is turned to adjust the pressure of the spring 26. The maximum clearance between the head of th screw I6 when placed within the small housing formed by the tongues I2, is preferably about or of an inch. Assuming that the adjustment is started from 'a position in which the slide I 0 is retracted, the inner screw is first turned clockwise until it feels free, that is to say, the head has passed out of contact with the brackets l 2 and is not yet in contactwth the face of the body of the plate It). This leaves the spring 26, within the cup [1, free to push the brackets l2 and thereby the slide l0, against the runway. If there is no feeling of friction, the outer screw is turned to adjust the pressure of the spring. If the inner screw then does not feel free, because the brackets moving outward may have come in contact with the head 25, the inner screw I6 is again turned clockwise until it feels free.

When the proper adjustment of the screws with turned if necessary, however. The sash is then. pushed to one side of the window, which enables it to clear the window stop (or the parting strip, as the case may be) on the other side, and it may then be conveniently lifted out, and after cleaning, painting, re-glazing, or any other purpose for which it was removed, has been accomplished, it is easily replaced, and the screws again adjusted to the correct relation.

As pointed out, the adjustment is made according to the desired feeling of free movement together with necessary pressure, and therefore requires no skilled carpenter or mechanic.

The units may also be utilized to look a window on occasion, as for instance when closing a house for a winter or summer season. This is done by turning the inner screw clockwise so that the slide is firmly jammed against the runway, thus eliminating the normal resilient action. If this is done, any one of the units becomes practically a lock, and. the security is increased by tightening all of the units on each window.

Should the sash bind, due to any irregularity in the runway, or due to weather conditions, etc., the inner screw is loosened by counterclockwise rotation.

Many of the advantages of the invention have been referred to above, and further advantages will be readily apparent. In normal use, the units prevent rattling of the window, while at the same time permitting sliding movement; this is not the same effect as a wedge, but is due to th resilient action of the spring which urges the plate outward.

It will be understood that the embodiment herein illustrated and described is one example of my invention, but that I do not limit myself to the particular details of construction and operation which have been herein described and illustrated, as it is obvious that the same may be modified, within the scope of the claims hereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination, a member adapted to slide in a sash runway of a window frame, a sleeve screw-threaded internally and externally and adapted to be rotatably positioned in a sash frame of the window, a screw extending within and engaging said sleeve, means loosely connecting said screw to said sliding member, and

resilient means between said connecting means and said sleeve for urging said sliding member away from said sleeve, whereby rotation of said inner screw relative to said sleeve and thereby to said sash controls the range of free movement of said sliding member relative to said sash and rotation of said sleeve controls the resilient outward pressure of said sliding member and its engagement in the runway to position the sash.

2. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination, a member adapted to slide in a sash runway of a window frame, a member adapted to be secured in a socket formed in a side frame of a sash of said window and having a threaded perforation therein, bearing means carried by said sliding member and having an opening for a screw, a sleeve internally and externally screw-threaded and passing through said perforated member, a screw having one portion extending through said sleeve and another portion extending within and loosely engaged by said bearing means, and resilient means urging said sliding member outwards from the sash to cause sliding frictional engagement thereof in said runway to position the sash: the construction being such that the position of said slide relative to said sash and the pressure of said slide in the runway may be controlled by rotating said sleeve and said screw.

3. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination, an elongated plate adapted to slide in a sash runway of a window frame, said slide having a pair of lateral wings extending at right angles to the body ,thereof and having also a pair of brackets formed from the body thereof and extending therefrom and their ends extending towards each other and having an opening therebetween for loose engagement of a screw, a cap adapted to be secured in a socket formed in a side frame of a sash of the window and of a size and shape adapted to fit over and enclose said wings and brackets, and means for resiliently adjustin the position of said cap with relation to said slide, comprisinga sleeve internally and externally screw-threaded and engaging the perforation in said cap, a screw having one portion extending through said sleeve and its head lying between said brackets to form a loose connection with said slide, and a spring surrounding said screw intermediate the brackets and the top of the cap, said screw and said sleeve being adapted to extend through the sash frame to permit convenient rotational adjustment thereof from within the room.

4. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination, an elongated plate adapted to slide in a sash runway of a window frame, said slide having a pair of lateral wings extending at right-angles to the body thereof and having also a pair of brackets formed from the body thereof and extendin therefrom and their ends extending towards each other and having an opening therebetween for loose engagement of a screw, a cap adapted to be secured in a socket formed in a side frame of a sash of the window and of a size and shape adapted to fit over and enclose said wings and brackets, and means for resiliently adjusting the position of said cap with relation to said slide, comprising a sleeve internally and externall screw-threaded and engaging the perforation in said cap, a screw having one portion extending through said sleeve and its head lying between said brackets to form a loose connection with said slide, and a spring surrounding said screw intermediate the brackets and the top of the cap, said screw and said sleeve being adapted to extend through the sash frame to permit convenient rotational adjustment thereof from within the room, said sliding member being formed from a blank having portions bent to provide the said wings and brackets, the said brackets when formed being positioned between said wings and their adjacent ends being cut away to form the aperture for loose engagement with the screw, said brackets being shorter than said wings, and together with a washer positioned between said spring and said sleeve.

JAMES FRANCIA. 

